Bankside barrister Julie Ding, alongside criminal law barristers Nick Chisnall KC of Augusta Chambers and Kerry Cook KC of Bridgeside Chambers, has appeared in the Supreme Court representing Scott Watson in his appeal against his convictions relating to the deaths of Ben Smart and Olivia Hope on 1 January 1998.
The two-day hearing, held on 20–21 October 2026, followed the Court of Appeal’s dismissal of Mr Watson’s previous appeal in September 2025.
The current appeal focuses on the admissibility and reliability of eyewitness Guy Wallace’s identification of Mr Watson from a police photo montage. Watson’s lawyers argue that the identification process was compromised by the way police conducted their investigation and by subsequent media coverage.
The Crown disputes this, submitting that the identification was one part of a wider body of evidence and that the convictions should stand.
The Supreme Court is considering whether the admission of the identification evidence at trial resulted in a miscarriage of justice.
The Court has reserved its decision.
Further Reading
NZ Herald, 21 October 2026.
RNZ, 20 October 2026.
Capital Letter, 20 October 2026.
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